“Untitled Film Still #21” is an artwork by Cindy Sherman created in 1979, and it forms part of her “Untitled Film Stills” series. This series is renowned for its exploration of female roles and identity within the context of feminist art, employing photography as its medium. Sherman’s stills are evocative of scenes from 1950s and ’60s Hollywood, European art house films, and film noir, and they play with the construction of gender and identity.
In this particular image, a woman is featured in what appears to be an urban setting. She’s wearing a beret, a patterned jacket with a white-collar, and her makeup is done in a style reminiscent of mid-20th-century fashion, potentially emulating the look from movie characters of that era. She gazes off-frame, which alongside the vintage aesthetic and monochromatic finish, enhances the image’s resemblance to a real film still, suggesting a narrative beyond the scene captured. This iconic series earned Sherman a place in contemporary art history by raising questions about the role of women in society, the nature of fame, and the power of mass media.
